Work Place Counselling?

Should all companies have counselling available for their employees? This is an important question and one that may induce a huge debate. However I believe work place counselling is a necessity as it can enhance health and wellbeing as well as productivity. If you have content and happy staff who can manage their day within the workplace this will without question have a much better outcome for the company.

The expectations and demands on workforce of some companies can be high and with little or no consideration of their staffs well being has a massive impact on employees. Which in turn may result in a huge staff turn over, long term sickness and lack of commitment to the company. This can be detrimental to the company as if they were able to channel the money they would potentially spend on the recurring recruitment process and sick pay into support for their staff their company and employees would reap the benefits.

Having a clear assessment to make sure counselling is the right service for the client. If not, referring onto a more appropriate organisation or therapy is essential for the client and the counsellor. Once contracting has been agreed, offering short term usually around six sessions of solution focused therapy, which may include strategies to achieve their goal, can be gained with high success rates.

Ultimately it is down to each individual to take responsibility for their own health and well being. Companies can assist their staff by also offering workshops on different ways of Improving their Health and Wellbeing, Effective Communication and Mindfulness.

Here are some warning signs and symptoms of stress:

Cognitive Symptoms

Emotional Symptoms

Memory problems

Inability to concentrate

Poor judgment

Seeing only the negative

Anxious or racing thoughts

Constant worrying

Moodiness

Irritability or short temper

Agitation, inability to relax

Feeling overwhelmed

Sense of loneliness and isolation

Depression or general unhappiness

Physical Symptoms

Behavioral Symptoms

Aches and pains

Diarrhea or constipation

Nausea, dizziness

Chest pain, rapid heartbeat

Loss of sex drive

Frequent colds

Eating more or less

Sleeping too much or too little

Isolating yourself from others

Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and Welcome principal research fellow at the University of Oxford, says: “Mindfulness can be an antidote to the “tunnel vision” that can develop in our daily lives, especially when we are busy, stressed or tired".

Studies have found that mindfulness programmes - in which participants are taught mindfulness practises across a series of weeks - can bring about reductions in stress and improvements in mood.

Health and Well Being is everybody’s responsibility within the work place. Be it counselling, workshops or links to helpful websites all employees would benefit having access to information to enable them to enhance their well being and productivity.